Assam flood situation remains grim

The flood situation in Assam remained grim today with as many as 17 districts affected by the rising water of river Brahmaputra and its tributaries with a population of nearly seven lakh.

The first wave of flood has already taken the lives of two children who got drowned in the worst hit Dhemaji district in upper Assam which remains cut off from the rest of the country both on road and rail.

Forest officials from the Kaziranga National Park, home to the famed one-horned rhinos, said the park suffered first casualty when two deer and a python were crushed to death by speeding vehicles on the national highway when they were trying to cross over from the flooded park to higher reaches.

According to official reports reaching here, the situation in the district was serious as the Jiadhal river was in spate which changed its course and caused two breaches in Kekuri and Bjojugaon while in the entire district about 100 villages with a population of nearly 50,000 have been affected.

In Goalpara district of lower Assam, the Brahmaputra was flowing above danger level and road communication at several places including Lakhipur and Joleswar remained disrupted while 20 engine-fitted boats have been pressed into service.